苛政猛于虎 — “Harsh rule is fiercer than a tiger”
苛政猛于虎 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Oppressive governance or harsh rules are more terrifying and destructive than a fierce tiger, emphasizing that severe human-made suffering can be worse than natural disasters”. Literally, “Harsh rule is fiercer than a tiger”.
苛政猛于虎 Pronunciation and Pinyin
苛政猛于虎 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 苛政猛于虎
Origin and Story of 苛政猛于虎
During the Spring and Autumn Period, Confucius and his disciples were passing by Mount Tai when they saw a woman weeping bitterly by a grave.
Upon inquiring, they learned that her husband and son had both been devoured by a tiger. She explained that she had fled to this place from elsewhere because, despite the danger of tigers, there were no harsh taxes or oppressive rule here.
The woman expressed that she would rather face the threat of tigers than endure the tyranny found elsewhere.
Confucius sighed and said to his students, 'You see, oppressive governance is indeed more terrifying than a fierce tiger.'
Idioms Related to 苛政猛于虎
Synonyms of 苛政猛于虎
More idioms starting with 苛
Recommended tools
Bingo Cards
Picture and word Bingo for your class
Open the tool →
Writing Worksheets
Printable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion
Open the tool →
Picture Worksheets
Chinese and English fill-in vocabulary worksheets
Open the tool →
Character Highlight Animator
Choose character parts and animate their colors, together or in stroke order
Open the tool →Questions about 苛政猛于虎
What does 苛政猛于虎 mean?
苛政猛于虎 (kē zhèng měng yú hǔ) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Oppressive governance or harsh rules are more terrifying and destructive than a fierce tiger, emphasizing that severe human-made suffering can be worse than natural disasters”.
How do you pronounce 苛政猛于虎?
苛政猛于虎 is pronounced kē zhèng měng yú hǔ in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 苛政猛于虎 literally mean?
Literally, 苛政猛于虎 means “Harsh rule is fiercer than a tiger”. It is used to mean “Oppressive governance or harsh rules are more terrifying and destructive than a fierce tiger, emphasizing that severe human-made suffering can be worse than natural disasters”.
Where does 苛政猛于虎 come from?
苛政猛于虎 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 苛政猛于虎?
政：政治。指残酷压迫剥削人民的政治比老虎还要可怕。